Herb Oliver Honoured
Posted by Dave Green
Herb Oliver Honoured
Long time Alliston resident and business owner, Herb Oliver tonight was recognized for contributions to the community when he received the Elgin Blakely Citizen of the Year award at this year's Clarence W. Leach Rural Urban night. This award is given to a citizen of greater Alliston who has actively worked for the betterment of our community and who has been selected by a committee of prominent citizens. Anyone in the community can nominate someone for this award. All citizens are eligible.The Elgin Blakely Citizen of the Year Award was first presented in 1982 and is given to the person who best exemplifies "Service Above Self". Over the years the recipients of this award have represented the very best that is in our community. Many of them started "giving back" when they were young and have made volunteering a life-long commitment.
Since moving to Alliston in 1953 with his wife Gertie, Herb has been the backbone of his church, the Rotary Club and the Masonic Lodge.
Congratulations Herb.
For the full details of his nomination follow this link.
Since moving to Alliston in 1953 with his wife Gertie, Herb has been the backbone of his church, the Rotary Club and the Masonic Lodge.
Congratulations Herb.
For the full details of his nomination follow this link.
We are delighted to present our nominee, Herb Oliver, for the Elgin Blakely Citizen of the Year Award.
Herb was born in Cobourg on July 31, 1929. He shares his birth date with Elgin Blakely, the man for whom this award is named. Like Elgin Blakely, Herb had rural roots. He was raised on the family farm in Colborne. In the late 1940's Herb moved to Toronto. Herb liked to go square dancing. One night in 1948 Herb spotted a pretty young woman in a red suit and asked her to dance. Two years later, on September 16, 1950 Herb married that lovely young woman and Gertie became his bride. At the time, Herb was working for Canadian Comstock. In 1953 their contract to convert hydro from 25 to 60 cycle came to an end and with it Herb's job. It was then that Herb and Gertie moved to Alliston.
When the young couple moved to Alliston they both found jobs at Camp Borden. Herb spent ten years there and one year at the Meaford Range as store manager assistant. All the parts for army vehicles were stored there and each part had a number. One of his associates said he had never seen a man with such a memory. He knew every number of every part of machinery including nuts and bolts.
In 1955, with the help of brothers, in-laws and friends, Herb built a house at 13 Doner Street. The family stayed in this house until 1993 when they moved into their present house at 16 Doner Street.
In November 1962 Herb left his job at Camp Borden, mortgaged his home and bought Mitchell's Fuel and changed the name to Oliver Fuels. At first both he and Gertie were overwhelmed by this purchase, but they took the chance and it was the best thing they ever did. After 47 years the business is still going strong with their son, Tom at the helm. Herb is still out there every morning though, to make sure everything is going well.
Herb's commitment to his community started shortly after he moved to Alliston. Herb served on Alliston Town Council in 1962-1963. His name can be found on the plaque on the Church Street Bridge. It was just one of the many projects that council handled during his term.
On November 1, 1974 Herb joined the Rotary Club of Alliston. His sponsor was Elgin Blakely. Herb has been an outstanding Rotarian. He is a Paul Harris Fellow as well as a Benefactor. He served as president in 1987-1988. He and Gertie have hosted seven Rotary Exchange Students. They have had young people from Finland, India, Japan, Brazil, France, England and Australia. They still have close ties with Tracy, their exchange student from Australia. When she was married they attended her wedding in Australia. She has also visited Herb and Gertie with her husband and children and spent Christmas with the Oliver clan. Herb has served on several committees. For many years he organized the floats for the Potato Festival Parade, pounding in the stakes marking the spot for each float. His truck is also the first truck you will see when there is work to be done. On road cleanup night not only does he help with his truck, he usually gathers up some of his grandchildren to help. Herb is also a big help at Twelfth Night. He drives around town picking up discarded Christmas trees for the bonfire. His truck also has come in handy for the Rotary Gala and Auction. He is usually the first one there to help move all the auction items from their storage spot to Woodington Lake Golf Course. He loves children and was a big supporter of the Rotary Adventure Playground in Riverdale Park. For several years Paul McKelvey and Herb took turns driving Margaret Blakely from Barrie to Alliston for any Partner Nights and most importantly to the Clarence Leach Rural/Urban Night where she would present the Elgin Blakely Award. Herb doesn't have to drive to Barrie anymore, as Margaret drives to her granddaughter, Sonia's home and he picks her up there.
Herb is a very dedicated member of St. John's United Church. He has been an Elder, Steward, President of the Couples Club and is now serving on the Board of Trustees and is a member of the Official Board. Potato Festival has always been a busy time for Herb. Not only did he help organize the parade on Friday night, the next morning at 6:00 am he was at the church lighting the stoves for the pancake breakfast. After feeding approximately 1500 people it was cleanup time. The stoves and pancake dispensers had to be cleaned and all the tables and chairs had to be gathered and returned to the church. He either likes to cook, or likes to eat we are not sure which. But Herb was involved when the Couples Club decided to have chicken barbeques in Riverdale Park. Herb helped build the cement block fire pit where they cooked the chicken on wire racks that were made by the club. Each rack held 25 chicken halves and were manually turned every ten minutes. It was a big job as they served over 1000 dinners. In the summer you can still find him trimming the grass and weeding the flower gardens around the church. He notices the little things that need to be done and just goes ahead in his usual quiet way and does them.
When asked for a comment, Reverend Alf Dumont had the following to say about Herb:
Herb is a man who has always been willing to pitch in and help no matter what was happening. If he saw other people working around the church he would stop and help, from helping clean up the yard, to helping set up the crèche at Christmas time, to volunteering to be a Wise Man on the church float for the Rotary Christmas parade. He has taken leadership roles in stewardship not only by suggestions but by example in the way he has invested in the church through its capital campaigns, its restoration and renovation including the rebuilding of the steeple, to its ongoing involvement through programming that supports people in the community of Alliston. I have appreciated Herb for his steady support and quiet encouragement. I have always known that no matter how much is before us in whatever project, either at Rotary or through the church, that Herb stays with you until the "job is finished" or the "task has be accomplished". He is a model of "service above self".
Square Dancing has always had a special place in the hearts of Herb and Gertie. In 1967 they were involved in forming the Alliston Swinging Eights Square Dance Club. As the first presidents, it was their responsibility to hire a caller, find a hall and get things rolling. Each summer 500-600 dancers would come to a dance held in Elgin Blakely's potato barn. It was a very successful club and ran for 38 years.
Herb is also a very devoted member of the Masonic Lodge. John Lewis, a member of the lodge, and former recipient of the Elgin Blakely Award, describes Herb as a "Stalwart of the Lodge." He was the Master in 1975-1976. He was also the District Grand Master for Georgian District for a year. As the District Grand Master he visited every Lodge in the District at least twice. That meant that he was gone nearly every night from Monday to Friday and sometimes Saturday as well. He is a member of the 33 Degree Scottish Rite in Barrie. As a member of the Scottish Rite, he is a great supporter of the new Learning Centre in Barrie. At the learning center, children with dyslexia learn to read. They are tutored in a one to one setting. There is no cost to the child or their family. He is also a member of the Sheba Shrine Club in Barrie who supports Children's Hospitals throughout the world. He has served on most committees in his local lodge including Temple Board and Property Committee. He is presently chairing the Benevolent Committee and is a mentor to the lodge, giving advice on Masonic Matters. He is also on the board for property maintenance. It is not unusual to find him shoveling snow or chipping ice behind the Lodge building.
Herb and Gertie have raised four great children and now their family includes one loving and kind daughter in law, two great sons in law and seven grand children. On September 16, 2010 Herb and Gertie will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary. And as Gertie said to me " That should prove what a wonderful man he is, or I wouldn't have put up with him".
We believe that Herb Oliver represents the best that is in our community. He is not the "leader of the band", but rather the member who knows how to play every instrument. He willingly works to make our community a better place to live and truly lives the motto "Service Above Self"
Kathy Biss
Margaret Blakely
Herb was born in Cobourg on July 31, 1929. He shares his birth date with Elgin Blakely, the man for whom this award is named. Like Elgin Blakely, Herb had rural roots. He was raised on the family farm in Colborne. In the late 1940's Herb moved to Toronto. Herb liked to go square dancing. One night in 1948 Herb spotted a pretty young woman in a red suit and asked her to dance. Two years later, on September 16, 1950 Herb married that lovely young woman and Gertie became his bride. At the time, Herb was working for Canadian Comstock. In 1953 their contract to convert hydro from 25 to 60 cycle came to an end and with it Herb's job. It was then that Herb and Gertie moved to Alliston.
When the young couple moved to Alliston they both found jobs at Camp Borden. Herb spent ten years there and one year at the Meaford Range as store manager assistant. All the parts for army vehicles were stored there and each part had a number. One of his associates said he had never seen a man with such a memory. He knew every number of every part of machinery including nuts and bolts.
In 1955, with the help of brothers, in-laws and friends, Herb built a house at 13 Doner Street. The family stayed in this house until 1993 when they moved into their present house at 16 Doner Street.
In November 1962 Herb left his job at Camp Borden, mortgaged his home and bought Mitchell's Fuel and changed the name to Oliver Fuels. At first both he and Gertie were overwhelmed by this purchase, but they took the chance and it was the best thing they ever did. After 47 years the business is still going strong with their son, Tom at the helm. Herb is still out there every morning though, to make sure everything is going well.
Herb's commitment to his community started shortly after he moved to Alliston. Herb served on Alliston Town Council in 1962-1963. His name can be found on the plaque on the Church Street Bridge. It was just one of the many projects that council handled during his term.
On November 1, 1974 Herb joined the Rotary Club of Alliston. His sponsor was Elgin Blakely. Herb has been an outstanding Rotarian. He is a Paul Harris Fellow as well as a Benefactor. He served as president in 1987-1988. He and Gertie have hosted seven Rotary Exchange Students. They have had young people from Finland, India, Japan, Brazil, France, England and Australia. They still have close ties with Tracy, their exchange student from Australia. When she was married they attended her wedding in Australia. She has also visited Herb and Gertie with her husband and children and spent Christmas with the Oliver clan. Herb has served on several committees. For many years he organized the floats for the Potato Festival Parade, pounding in the stakes marking the spot for each float. His truck is also the first truck you will see when there is work to be done. On road cleanup night not only does he help with his truck, he usually gathers up some of his grandchildren to help. Herb is also a big help at Twelfth Night. He drives around town picking up discarded Christmas trees for the bonfire. His truck also has come in handy for the Rotary Gala and Auction. He is usually the first one there to help move all the auction items from their storage spot to Woodington Lake Golf Course. He loves children and was a big supporter of the Rotary Adventure Playground in Riverdale Park. For several years Paul McKelvey and Herb took turns driving Margaret Blakely from Barrie to Alliston for any Partner Nights and most importantly to the Clarence Leach Rural/Urban Night where she would present the Elgin Blakely Award. Herb doesn't have to drive to Barrie anymore, as Margaret drives to her granddaughter, Sonia's home and he picks her up there.
Herb is a very dedicated member of St. John's United Church. He has been an Elder, Steward, President of the Couples Club and is now serving on the Board of Trustees and is a member of the Official Board. Potato Festival has always been a busy time for Herb. Not only did he help organize the parade on Friday night, the next morning at 6:00 am he was at the church lighting the stoves for the pancake breakfast. After feeding approximately 1500 people it was cleanup time. The stoves and pancake dispensers had to be cleaned and all the tables and chairs had to be gathered and returned to the church. He either likes to cook, or likes to eat we are not sure which. But Herb was involved when the Couples Club decided to have chicken barbeques in Riverdale Park. Herb helped build the cement block fire pit where they cooked the chicken on wire racks that were made by the club. Each rack held 25 chicken halves and were manually turned every ten minutes. It was a big job as they served over 1000 dinners. In the summer you can still find him trimming the grass and weeding the flower gardens around the church. He notices the little things that need to be done and just goes ahead in his usual quiet way and does them.
When asked for a comment, Reverend Alf Dumont had the following to say about Herb:
Herb is a man who has always been willing to pitch in and help no matter what was happening. If he saw other people working around the church he would stop and help, from helping clean up the yard, to helping set up the crèche at Christmas time, to volunteering to be a Wise Man on the church float for the Rotary Christmas parade. He has taken leadership roles in stewardship not only by suggestions but by example in the way he has invested in the church through its capital campaigns, its restoration and renovation including the rebuilding of the steeple, to its ongoing involvement through programming that supports people in the community of Alliston. I have appreciated Herb for his steady support and quiet encouragement. I have always known that no matter how much is before us in whatever project, either at Rotary or through the church, that Herb stays with you until the "job is finished" or the "task has be accomplished". He is a model of "service above self".
Square Dancing has always had a special place in the hearts of Herb and Gertie. In 1967 they were involved in forming the Alliston Swinging Eights Square Dance Club. As the first presidents, it was their responsibility to hire a caller, find a hall and get things rolling. Each summer 500-600 dancers would come to a dance held in Elgin Blakely's potato barn. It was a very successful club and ran for 38 years.
Herb is also a very devoted member of the Masonic Lodge. John Lewis, a member of the lodge, and former recipient of the Elgin Blakely Award, describes Herb as a "Stalwart of the Lodge." He was the Master in 1975-1976. He was also the District Grand Master for Georgian District for a year. As the District Grand Master he visited every Lodge in the District at least twice. That meant that he was gone nearly every night from Monday to Friday and sometimes Saturday as well. He is a member of the 33 Degree Scottish Rite in Barrie. As a member of the Scottish Rite, he is a great supporter of the new Learning Centre in Barrie. At the learning center, children with dyslexia learn to read. They are tutored in a one to one setting. There is no cost to the child or their family. He is also a member of the Sheba Shrine Club in Barrie who supports Children's Hospitals throughout the world. He has served on most committees in his local lodge including Temple Board and Property Committee. He is presently chairing the Benevolent Committee and is a mentor to the lodge, giving advice on Masonic Matters. He is also on the board for property maintenance. It is not unusual to find him shoveling snow or chipping ice behind the Lodge building.
Herb and Gertie have raised four great children and now their family includes one loving and kind daughter in law, two great sons in law and seven grand children. On September 16, 2010 Herb and Gertie will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary. And as Gertie said to me " That should prove what a wonderful man he is, or I wouldn't have put up with him".
We believe that Herb Oliver represents the best that is in our community. He is not the "leader of the band", but rather the member who knows how to play every instrument. He willingly works to make our community a better place to live and truly lives the motto "Service Above Self"
Kathy Biss
Margaret Blakely